On Tuesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) criticized Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos for potentially replacing hundreds of thousands of jobs with robots, while Elon Musk weighed in on AI's broader impact on the workforce.
Sanders Warns About Automation At Amazon
On X, formerly Twitter, Sanders wrote, "Big Tech oligarchs are coming for your job. Jeff Bezos will be replacing 600,000 jobs at Amazon with robots."
"His vision: fully automate operations. AI & robotics must benefit workers, not the top 1%," he continued.
The comments followed internal Amazon documents reviewed by The New York Times, suggesting the company may automate operations instead of hiring approximately 160,000 workers needed to support growth by 2027.
Amazon aims to double its sales by 2033, which would require hiring roughly 600,000 employees.
As per the report, the company hopes that advancements in robotics will allow it to avoid expanding its U.S. workforce, potentially substituting up to 600,000 future positions with robots.
See Also: OpenAI’s ChatGPT Makes Headway In Search, Threatening Google’s Reign
Elon Musk Also Weighs In On AI And Work
In a separate post, Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) and SpaceX CEO Musk also commented on the development.
He predicted that AI and robots may replace nearly all jobs in the future, with work becoming optional.
"Working will be optional, like growing your own vegetables, instead of buying them from the store," he wrote.
Amazon's Automation Plans And Efficiency Goals
Amazon's robotics team earlier said that some facilities now require 25%–50% fewer human workers.
By 2027, 40 additional warehouses are expected to implement these robotic designs, contributing to Amazon's goal of automating 75% of operations.
The documents indicate this shift could save Amazon roughly 30 cents per item delivered and may reshape hiring practices across the industry.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said that "No company has created more jobs in America over the past decade than Amazon," noting that the documents represent only one team's perspective.
Amazon said it will continue hiring, especially for higher-paying roles and expand upskilling programs, including its Robotics Apprenticeship initiative.
Price Action: Shares of Amazon rose 2.56% on Tuesday, though they were down 0.91% in after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro.
Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings show that AMZN demonstrates a solid long-term price trend, despite weaker performance in the short and medium term. Additional performance details are available here.
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